Airline Food Workers Rally at JFK Terminal 8

 

On February 14, during the busy President’s Day and Valentine’s Day travel rush, airline catering workers and their supporters will call on American Airlines to take urgent and necessary steps to ensure workers who cater inflight meals and beverages are able to escape poverty and access health care. Workers will be participating in marches, pickets, sit-downs and die-ins throughout the country.

This day of national protest is the latest in a series of demonstrations at U.S. airports calling attention to American Airlines, including our past nationwide protest on Thanksgiving weekend at John F. Kennedy Airport. Throughout 2019, airline catering workers held large-scale demonstrations in Washington, D.C., Philadelphia, and Dallas-Ft. Worth—where over 50 were arrested in a civil disobedience action near American Airlines’ headquarters and largest hub airport.

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Catering Workers Serving American Airlines Kick Off “Fast for Our Families” in Miami with NFL Players Association Executive Director, elected leaders

Catering Workers Serving American Airlines Kick Off “Fast for Our Families” in Miami with NFL Players Association Executive Director, elected leaders

 

As travelers arrive in Miami for Super Bowl LIV, workers launch 6-day fast at Miami International Airport to call for an end to poverty wages and unaffordable health care

Catering workers serving American Airlines launched a “Fast For Our Families” that will run through Saturday. Nine fasters, including 3 Local 100 airline catering workers from  New York, joined in solidarity by National Football Players Association Executive Director DeMaurice Smith, Miami-Dade County Commissioner Daniella Levine Cava, Miami-Dade Commissioner Jean Monastine and Congresswoman Debbie Mucarsel-Powell (FL-26).

“Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. said that all labor has dignity. Let’s remember, as hundreds of thousands of people descend onto Miami this week, that behind every Super Bowl party and celebration, there are men and women doing the work behind the scenes to be able to feed their families,” said NFLPA executive director DeMaurice Smith. “The NFLPA is proud to stand in solidarity with airline catering this week, and shame on American Airlines for not taking action to make sure they are provided a living wage.”

Fasters will be joined by other prominent allies as the week continues.

Though American Airlines, which has named MIA as one of its most important U.S. hubs, has earned $1.9 billion in profits in 2018, over 70% of airline catering employees at LSG Sky Chefs who service American at MIA earn below the living wage set for other airport employees.

Only 19% of airline catering workers serving American at MIA had company healthcare in 2018, and only 4% covered any dependents. A 2019 survey of 128 out of 840 employees in Miami found that 48% depend on government-funded healthcare programs for themselves or their children. Thirty-five percent (35%) reported that they are uninsured entirely.
The fasters will base their week-long protest at MIA Terminal D, Departures area, but will hold daily actions at the airport and other Super Bowl events to spread their message as widely as possible. The fasters will be joined throughout the week by catering workers from other cities across the United States. These workers primarily serve American Airlines, Delta Air Lines and United Airlines and are all working together to end poverty and secure good, affordable health care industry-wide.

 

Catering workers serving American, Delta, United Airlines testify on unaffordable health care, low wages before House Subcommittee on Aviation

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Citizenship Information and Eligibility / Información de Elegibilidad y Ciudadanía.

UNITE HERE Local 100 holds free monthly Citizenship clinics with an immigration lawyer. The next Citizenship clinic will be held on Monday, January 27 at 10:00 a.m at 275 7th Ave. 16th floor. Contact UNITE HERE Local 100 at 212-541-4226 for more information.

UNITE HERE Local 100 tiene clínicas mensuales gratuitas de Ciudadanía con un abogado de inmigración. La próxima clínica de Ciudadanía se llevará a cabo el lunes 27 de enero a las 10:00 a.m. en 275 7th Ave. Piso 16. Comuníquese con UNITE HERE Local 100 al 212-541-4226 para obtener más información.

Hundreds of airline catering workers protest at JFK, joining nationwide protests on historically busy travel day

For Immediate Release: November 26, 2019
Contact: Yimelka Morales ( 917-561-7504)

Workers and supporters call for American Airlines to address poverty wages, expensive health care in the airline catering industry

New York— Dozens were arrested and nearly 800 more demonstrated at JFK on one of the busiest travel days in the U.S. today—the Tuesday before Thanksgiving. The protests were led by UNITE HERE Local 100-represented airline catering workers who provide inflight food and beverage services for major U.S. airlines, including American Airlines. Workers called on American to take urgent and necessary steps to ensure that workers who cater its flights are able to escape poverty and access healthcare. Airline catering workers from Local 100 joined national protests that took place in 17 U.S. cities.

 

Airline catering workers prepare, pack, and deliver food and beverages served aboard flights for American Airlines and other major U.S. airlines. Though their work is essential to airline operations at JFK, many workers depend on Medicaid for health care or go without any insurance. Meanwhile, American reported a 2018 annual profit of $1.9 billion.

 

“We’re out here protesting across the country because we’re sick and tired of being the lowest-paid and worst-treated workers in the airline industry,” said Nadia Small, who has worked catering flights from JFK for six years. “If this Thanksgiving is hard for travelers, think about our hardship. It’s life and death. Many of us don’t have any health insurance, or we take an expensive, low-quality plan that leaves us struggling with medical debt. We can’t pay our bills. One job should be enough for me and my coworkers, just like it’s enough for most other workers in this billion-dollar airline industry.”

 

Today’s protests are the latest in a series of demonstrations airports across the country calling attention to American Airlines. In addition to JFK, protests and/or acts of nonviolent civil disobedience took place in 17 cities including major airports in New York City, Los Angeles, San Francisco, Chicago, Miami, Philadelphia, and Washington, D.C. This past summer UNITE HERE airline catering workers at JFK voted unanimously to strike when released by the National Mediation Board. Federal mediation of contract negotiations continues.

 

Hundreds of Airline Catering Workers Stage Protest at JFK Airport